Inflatable game structure

ABSTRACT

A game apparatus including at least one rebound surface upon which a player can jump, flexible material extending substantially vertically up from the at least one rebound surface dividing the at least one rebound surface into at least two individual play areas having the at least one rebound surface as a floor, an opening between the play areas a preset distance above the rebound surface to allow a play object to move between play areas includes an inflatable flexible material mounting frame supporting the flexible material. An inflatable rebound surface mounting frame can also be provided for supporting the rebound surface.

PRIORITY CLAIM

Priority is claimed to copending U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/266,077 filed Dec. 2, 2009, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The invention is in the field of game apparatus including a trampoline and structure above the trampoline for playing games while jumping on the trampoline.

2. Related Art

In the early eighties I invented a game, with several variations, which utilized one or more trampolines and structure above the trampoline surface or surfaces. These game apparatus are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,433,838 and 4,569,515, and are available commercially under the trademarks AEROBALL and HIBALL from Maze, Inc., Springville, Utah. The HIBALL game apparatus includes a single trampoline with single dividers and goals. Two or four players participate in the game. The AEROBALL game apparatus includes two or four separate trampolines with double dividers and goals. Both games include flexible material, such as flexible mesh material, forming netting around the rebound surface of the trampoline or trampolines to ensure that the players jumping on the trampoline do not fall off the rebound surface and which divide the play area into individual cells with a cell forming and individual play area for each player. The netting also keeps a play object, such as a ball, within the game cells. Goals are provided in the cells into or through which players throw or hit the play object. The frames which support the trampoline or trampolines and which support the netting are steel and are assembled by connecting a number of steel framing pieces together and then mounting the rebound surface or surfaces and the netting to the frames. Improvements in the game structures are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,762,927.

The play apparatus as shown in cited U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,433,838, 4,569,515, and 7,762,927 generally work well but the steel frames make them time consuming to set up and take down, making the game structures difficult to set up for temporary use, such as for use just during parties.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention, a game apparatus including at least one rebound surface upon which a player can jump, flexible material extending substantially vertically up from the at least one rebound surface dividing the at least one rebound surface into at least two individual play areas having the at least one rebound surface as a floor, and having an opening a preset distance above the rebound surface between the play areas to allow a play object to move between play areas is constructed using an inflatable flexible material mounting frame supporting the flexible material, thereby eliminating the steel flexible material frame and the assembly associated therewith. Further, the flexible material supported by the inflatable flexible material mounting frame is generally attached to and forms an integral part of the flexible material mounting frame so that complete assembly of the flexible material mounting frame and of the flexible material to define the individual play areas is accomplished by inflation of the inflatable flexible material mounting frame. The flexible material mounting frame can be completely sealed and inflated with a pump through a valve which is closed when the frame is inflated to maintain the inflation indefinitely, or the inflatable flexible material mounting frame may be inflated by a blower which operates on a continuous basis during use of the game apparatus to maintain the inflation during such use.

In addition, while the inflatable flexible material mounting frame can be used with an at least one convention trampoline rebound surface and rebound surface mounting frame supporting the at least one rebound surface, the invention can provide at least one convention trampoline rebound surface with an at least partially inflatable rebound surface mounting frame or can provide an inflatable at least one rebound surface and rebound surface mounting frame. This further eases assembly and disassembly of the game apparatus.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Additional features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description which follows, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which together illustrate, by way of example, features of the invention; and, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of a two man game apparatus of an example embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 along a side of the game apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a pictorial view of a further example embodiment of a two man game apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 4-4 along a side of the game apparatus of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a pictorial view of a four man game apparatus of an example embodiment of the present invention.

Reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illustrated, and specific language will be used herein to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1 and 2 show an example embodiment of a fully inflatable two man game apparatus of the invention. The game apparatus includes an inflatable base 10, having one or more individual inflatable chambers to form one or more individual rebound surfaces. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a single inflatable chamber 12 is shown with a single common rebound surface 14 forming the floor of the two individual play areas 16. Baffles 18 maintain the shape of the base and rebound surface. Although the top surface of the base which forms the rebound surface 14 is acute between the baffles 18 (the bottom surface, although not shown, would be similar) this overall rebound surface is considered as and is referred to as a substantially flat rebound surface 14 extending the length of the base 10. This substantially flat rebound surface 14 is substantially horizontal and parallel to the bottom surface except for the opposite ends of the rebound surface which are sloped slightly upwardly, as shown in the end areas 20. In the single inflatable chamber embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the baffles 18 are each open at an end, such as at alternating ends as shown in FIG. 2 by alternating ends being sectioned and alternating ends between the sectioned ends being shown as spaced ends to provide an opening between the non-sectioned end and the side wall, or may contain openings therethrough to allow air flow through the baffles, thereby allowing air flow through the entire chamber and forming a single air chamber 12. If desired, a sealing center divider, such as a center baffle, could be provided to divide the base into two separate sealed individual inflatable air chambers. In such case, a separate rebound surface would be formed for each of the individual play areas 16. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, the inflatable base 10 forms at least one rebound surface and also forms a rebound mounting surface frame which supports the rebound surface 14 above the bottom of the base.

Also, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an inflatable flexible material mounting frame is formed by inflatable vertical corner columns 24 and inflatable vertical central side columns 26, with upper inflatable horizontal end members 28 and upper inflatable horizontal side members 30, connecting adjacent columns. An intermediate inflatable horizontal central member 34 extends between the central columns 26 intermediate their height to form an opening 36 above the intermediate inflatable horizontal central member 34. These inflatable vertical columns and horizontal members form the inflatable flexible material mounting frame. This inflatable flexible material mounting frame may be permanently and integrally attached to the base as shown for the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2. Such attachment may be by attachment of the bottoms of the vertical columns to the top portion of the base by hot welding, RF welding, or gluing, or by other satisfactory methods. In other embodiments, not shown, the inflatable flexible material mounting frame may be removably or otherwise attached to the base or to other embodiments of the rebound surface mounting frame.

When the inflatable flexible material mounting frame is permanently and integrally attached to the base as shown for the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, the base and the inflatable flexible material mounting frame may be constructed to form a single inflation chamber. However, it is presently preferred to provide the inflatable base and the inflatable flexible material mounting frame as separate inflatable chambers. Separate inflatable chambers allows separate control of the inflation of each of the chambers and allows the inflation of the base, which creates the rebound properties of the rebound surface 14, to be controlled without affecting the inflation of the inflatable flexible material mounting frame. With either a single inflatable chamber or with multiple chambers, the chamber or chambers can be formed as completely sealed chambers to be inflated with a pump through a valve which is closed when the chamber is inflated to the desired degree to maintain the desired inflation indefinitely, or may be inflated by a blower which operates on a continuous basis during use of the game apparatus to maintain the inflation of a chamber attached to the blower during such use. Combinations of sealed and non-sealed chambers can also be use. For example, in some situations it may be desirable to provide a sealed base to provide the rebound surface and control rebound surface properties while the inflatable flexible material mounting frame may be inflated by a blower.

With the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, mesh or other material 38 extends down along each side of intermediate inflatable horizontal central member 34 to the rebound surface 14 to divide individual play areas 16. Mesh material 38 can be secured between intermediate inflatable horizontal central member 34 and rebound surface 14 as separate pieces of rebound material attached to either side of intermediate inflatable horizontal central member 34 and may be also attached to the inflatable vertical central side columns 26 and/or rebound surface 14 to secure the pieces of mesh material 38 in place, or a piece of mesh material 38 may be looped over intermediate inflatable horizontal central member 34 and attached to the inflatable vertical central side columns 26 and/or rebound surface 14 to secure the mesh material 38 in place. As seen in FIG. 2, with the mesh material 38 extending downwardly on both sides of intermediate inflatable horizontal central member 34, the mesh material on the opposite sides of intermediate inflatable horizontal central member 34 are spaced from each other to thereby form a space between the individual play areas 16. This lessens the possibility of players hitting each other if both hit the dividing wall simultaneously during play.

To enclose the individual play areas 16, mesh material 40, such as a vinyl coated nylon mesh material, not shown in FIG. 2, is secured between the inflatable vertical corner columns 24, the upper inflatable horizontal end members 28, and the upper end edges of base 10, to close the ends of the play areas 16. Similarly, mesh material 42, not shown in FIG. 2, is secured between the inflatable vertical corner columns 24, inflatable vertical central side columns 26, upper inflatable horizontal side members 30, and the upper side edges of base 10 to close the sides of the play areas 16. Further, if desired, which will generally be the case, mesh material 44, not shown in FIG. 2, will be secured between upper inflatable horizontal end members 28 and upper inflatable horizontal side members 30 to enclose the top of the individual play areas 16. While any suitable means of attaching the mesh material to the inflatable vertical and horizontal frame members and to the top of the base may be used, it has been found satisfactory to turn back and hem the edges of the mesh material and stitch the edges to vinyl strip material 46 which is then hot welded, RF welded, or glued to the structural members. Further, while securing the mesh material along all edges is preferred to close all edges to the play areas, the mesh material may be attached along only some of the edges. For example, in embodiments where the inflatable flexible material mounting frame may be separate from and removably or otherwise attached to the base or to other embodiments of the rebound surface mounting frame, the bottom edges of the mesh material may not be secured to such base or other rebound surface mounting frame, but the mounting of the inflatable flexible material mounting frame to the rebound surface mounting frame is sufficient to maintain closed play areas without actually attaching the bottom edges of the mesh material to the rebound surface mounting frame.

To enable players to enter and exit the individual play areas 16, doors 50 are provided in the mesh material forming one or both sides or the end of the enclosed play areas. The doors may take the form of flaps openable around three sides to swing open to allow a player to enter or leave a play area through a resulting door opening, or may be completely removable from the door opening. The flap or completely removable door can be held in closed position by any suitable means such as by hook and loop fastener material on the door and the mesh material surrounding the door opening, or by ties which hold the doors in closed position.

In many games played using the apparatus of the invention, goals are provided at the end of each individual play area through which a player in the opposing play area tries to throw a play object, such as a ball. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, such a goal is provided by sheet material 54 extending between inflatable goal supports 56 extending downwardly from upper inflatable horizontal end members 28. An opening 58 through sheet material 54 provides the goal. The illustrated goal is made with air tubes and flexible sheet material so it is safe if a player should accidentally contact the goal with their head or arm. This goal construction also allows the goal to be positioned entirely within the individual play areas forwardly of the mesh material forming the back wall of the play areas 16.

As indicated above, rebound surface 14 can be sloped slightly upwardly at its ends as shown in the end areas 20, FIG. 2. While this end slope is not necessary, this end slope causes players to move away from and forwardly of the back mesh wall. This puts players in better playing position and reduces contact with and wear of the back mesh walls. The materials forming the inflatable base and inflatable flexible material supporting frame may be any satisfactory materials as used in inflatable structures and may be supported (reinforced) or unsupported material. The type of material used will generally determine the durability and longevity of the structure. D rings may be provided at the lower and upper corners of the structure to allow the structure to be tethered to the ground to keep it in position in windy conditions, or if the structure is used in water, to connect anchors to the structure. Further, if the structure is used in water, inflatable stabilizing tubes can be secured to the lower ends of the base of the structure to extend beyond the sides of the structure to lessen the chance of structure capsize during use. With the structure being inflatable, and particularly with an inflatable base, the structure can be placed on and used on water.

While the game structure may be made in various sizes, structures providing individual play areas about four feet wide, five to six feet long, and about nine feet high are customary. With the structure of FIGS. 1 and 2, and with the base 10 about thirty inches high at its opposite ends (about twenty four inches high or thick over the flat central flat portion of the play area between the inclined ends), and with the vertical corner columns about eighteen inches in diameter, the vertical central side columns about twelve inches in diameter, the upper horizontal end members about twelve inches in diameter, the upper horizontal side members about twelve inches in diameter, and the intermediate horizontal central member about twelve inches in diameter, the overall size of a structure such as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 will be about six feet wide, twelve feet long, and eleven feet high. As indicated, various other sizes can be used.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show an example embodiment of a fully inflatable two man game apparatus of the invention having separate inflatable chambers forming separate rebound surfaces for each play area. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, an inflatable base 60 in the form of an inflatable tube of rectangular ring formation having a middle divider tube 62 provides an inflatable rebound surface mounting frame having two rectangular open areas 64 for mounting a rebound surface in each of the two open areas. A rectangular inflation chamber formed by an upper flexible wall 66 and lower flexible wall 68 is secured in each of the open areas 64 by attachment of the perimeters of the walls along their edges to the adjacent portions of the inflatable base 60 and middle divider tube 62 as shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a section along line 4-4 of FIG. 3 which is along the attachment of sheets 66 and 68 to the inside surface of the inflatable tube 60, where sheets 66 and 68 come together. When inflated, the inflation air inside the inflation chamber will separate sheets 66 and 68 with the greatest separation occurring at the center of the chamber. The peripheral edges will remain joined together. These inflation chambers do not use shaping baffles to maintain a substantially flat shape so the chambers take on a pillow-like shape when inflated. Each of the inflation chambers forms a floor for each of the individual play areas 16 with the top sheet 66 of each chamber providing the rebound surface for a player jumping on the inflation chamber. The game apparatus of FIGS. 3 and 4 includes the inflatable flexible material mounting frame and mesh material mounted thereto as previously described for the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, so will not be described in detail in connection with the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4. However, as seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the inflatable vertical corner columns 24 and the vertical central side columns 26 are secured to the corners and central side portions of inflatable base tube 60 similarly as to base 10 in FIGS. 1 and 2. The mesh material forming the ends and sides of the apparatus are secured to the upper edges of the inflatable base tube 60 similarly to their connection to base 10 in FIGS. 1 and 2. A difference in the game apparatus of FIGS. 3 and 4 from the apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2 is the goal construction. In the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4, visible only in FIG. 3, a sheet of material 70 is secured to and extends between inflatable vertical corner columns 24 defining respective ends of the apparatus, with opening 72 in material 70 to form the goal. This goal construction eliminates the need for the separate inflatable goal supports 56 of FIG. 1. The goal construction of FIGS. 3 and 4 could be used in any of the other embodiments of the invention, such as in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2.

In this embodiment, which provides two separate rebound surfaces, each of the inflation chambers providing a separate rebound surface is separately inflated. While a specific embodiment of separate rebound surfaces is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, it should be noted that various embodiments of separate rebound surfaces can be used. Rather that the specific inflation chambers shown, separate inflation chambers having shaping baffles as shown if FIGS. 1 and 2 could be used. Further, a traditional trampoline frame could be provided positioned on the tops of inflatable base tube 60 and middle divider tube 62 which can mount a traditional trampoline rebound surface with springs or other elastic means to cover openings 64 and form separate rebound surfaces for each play area 16. In such case, a similar inflatable flexible material mounting frame as shown could still be used.

FIG. 5 shows an example embodiment of a fully inflatable four man game apparatus of the invention. In this embodiment, the four man apparatus is essentially two of the two man game apparatuses combined in side-by-side configuration and with changes in the arrangement of the flexible material mounting frame. The four man game apparatus of FIG. 5 incorporates a base 70, which may form a single inflation chamber, two inflation chambers similar to the inflation chamber of FIGS. 1 and 2, or four separate inflation chambers. The inflatable flexible material mounting frame includes inflatable vertical corner columns 72, inflatable vertical central end columns 74, inflatable vertical central side columns 76, upper inflatable horizontal end members 78, and upper inflatable horizontal side members 80. A central vertical support column 82 supports intermediate inflatable horizontal central members 84 at their centers which extend between the central vertical support column 82 and each of the inflatable vertical central end columns 74 and inflatable vertical central side columns 76. The intermediate inflatable horizontal central members 84 support mesh material dividers 86 which separate side-by-side play areas and mesh material dividers 88 which separate end-to-end play areas. The mesh material dividers 86 and 88 are similar to the mesh material divider 38 of FIGS. 1-4. These separate play areas and provide an open space above the dividers over and through which a player can throw a play object. The four man embodiment of FIG. 5 includes end goals as shown in FIG. 1.

In any of the embodiments, additional inflatable vertical, horizontal, or other members may be provided as needed to provide a flexible material support frame or rebound surface support frame to hold the flexible material and/or rebound surface as desired. Doors can be sized and positioned as desired. It has been found that debris can collect inside the play areas of the structure. A small opening along the bottom of the play area, such as a two inch by three inch opening through the mesh material at a lower corner of each play area, can be provided so that collected debris can be blown from the play areas.

A ball satisfactory for use in the game apparatus of the invention can be between about six inches to ten inches in diameter, made of a durable soft cloth material, such as denim or valour, and filled with a stuffing material, such as batting or urethane. The ball is soft and has pinched seams so is easy to grip.

While the forgoing examples are illustrative of the principles of the present invention in one or more particular applications, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications in form, usage and details of implementation can be made without the exercise of inventive faculty, and without departing from the principles and concepts of the invention. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited, except as by the claims set forth below. 

1. A game apparatus comprising: at least one rebound surface upon which a player can jump; flexible material extending substantially vertically up from the at least one rebound surface dividing the at least one rebound surface into at least two individual play areas having the at least one rebound surface as a floor; an opening between the play areas to allow a play object to move between play areas, said opening being a preset distance above the rebound surface; a rebound surface mounting frame supporting the at least one rebound surface; and an inflatable flexible material mounting frame supporting the flexible material.
 2. A game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inflatable flexible material mounting frame includes inflatable vertical columns and inflatable end and side members extending between the inflatable vertical columns.
 3. A game apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the flexible material is mesh material and is secured to at least one of the inflatable vertical columns, the inflatable end members, and the inflatable side members.
 4. A game apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the inflatable flexible material mounting frame is secured to the rebound surface mounting frame.
 5. A game apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the rebound surface mounting frame provides an inflatable base supporting the at least one rebound surface.
 6. A game apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the inflatable flexible material mounting frame is secured to the rebound surface mounting frame by securing the inflatable vertical columns to the inflatable base.
 7. A game apparatus according to claim 6, wherein flexible material supported by the flexible material mounting frame surrounds the individual play areas, and the flexible material includes at least one door providing access to each of the play areas.
 8. A game apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the inflatable flexible material mounting frame includes inflatable vertical central side columns and a horizontal central member extending between the inflatable vertical central side columns to divide individual play areas, said horizontal central member having opposite sides, and includes mesh material extending between the rebound surface and the sides of the horizontal central member to create a divider between play areas having spaced sides.
 9. A game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one rebound surface is a single rebound surface.
 10. A game apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the single rebound surface is formed by a single inflation chamber.
 11. A game apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the rebound surface mounting frame is inflatable and contains a single inflation chamber forming a single rebound surface.
 12. A game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one rebound surface is a plurality of rebound surfaces.
 13. A game apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the rebound surface mounting frame is inflatable and contains a plurality of inflation chambers forming a plurality of rebound surface.
 14. A game apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the rebound surface mounting frame includes an inflatable base forming a plurality of spaces for mounting a rebound surface in each of the plurality of spaces.
 15. A game apparatus according to claim 14, wherein an inflation chamber forming a rebound surface is positioned in each of the plurality of spaces.
 16. A game apparatus according to claim 12, wherein there are two individual play areas and the plurality of rebound surfaces is two rebound surfaces.
 17. A game apparatus according to claim 12, wherein there are four individual play areas and the plurality of rebound surfaces is four rebound surfaces. 